Mike Flanagan Teases a Bold Stephen King Remake That Looks Nothing Like the 2007 Movie

Mike Flanagan is stepping into The Mist, and he is already making it clear: this is a fresh take from page one, not a rerun of the last time the fog rolled in.

The project, the context, the baggage

For anyone who skipped the paperback aisle, The Mist started as a Stephen King novella in 1980. Frank Darabont turned it into a gnarly 2007 movie led by Thomas Jane and Marcia Gay Harden, complete with that ending you still think about at red lights. Earlier this month, Warner Bros. Pictures tapped Flanagan to write and direct a new version. No release date yet. Flanagan, of course, is the guy behind The Haunting of Hill House, The Fall of the House of Usher, and the rare studio sequel that actually worked, Ouija: Origin of Evil.

What Flanagan is saying

Posting on Bluesky, Flanagan tried to head off the usual remake groans with a confident pitch.

"The Mist is going to be great, and I would not be doing it unless there was an excellent answer for why."

He also made a point of tipping his hat to the 2007 film while drawing a big, bright line between that version and his.

"I love Darabont's version of The Mist, and there's zero point in remaking it. I'm going in a different direction."

As for the internet discourse machine, he is fully aware of it and clearly unamused. He said he stopped trying to predict what fans will argue about and even called out people spiraling over fan-made AI posters for his Exorcist project, telling everyone to relax. He added that he heard the same skeptical 'but why' chorus when he tackled Hill House, Bly Manor, House of Usher, Carrie, The Exorcist, Ouija: Origin of Evil, and even Life of Chuck — and he only signs on when he is genuinely excited.

"This isn't a retread. The differences start on page 1."

What we know right now

• Source material: Stephen King's 1980 horror novella The Mist
• Previous adaptation: 2007 film from Frank Darabont starring Thomas Jane and Marcia Gay Harden
• New version: Written and directed by Mike Flanagan for Warner Bros. Pictures
• Status: Announced earlier this month; plot details under wraps; release date TBD
• Elsewhere on Flanagan's docket: His Exorcist movie is dated for March 12, 2027

So yeah, another Stephen King adaptation is on the way — but with Flanagan promising a different route through the fog from the very first page, this one is worth keeping on the radar.